A provider of products and services uses a supply chain to deliver the products and services to their customers. For example, a mobile communication network service provider builds and maintains the network, including one or more base station subsystems, a network switching subsystem, and a core network subsystem. The service provider manages a supply chain that includes products and suppliers to build and maintain the mobile communication network, and products and suppliers of the mobile devices that the subscribers use to access the network. Thus the supply chain for a mobile communication network includes a wide variety of products and services, distributed over a wide geographic area, and distributed through a large number of outlets including warehouses, retail stores, Internet-based electronic commerce sites, and others.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.